Private Tour to Mount Kazbegi

Route

What’s the plan?

Day 1: Airport Transfer- Tbilisi

Upon arrival in Georgia, we will meet you at the airport and drive to your hotel at Tbilisi. After a short break and check-in procedures, we will start our city tour in Tbilisi. This tour in the old town of Tbilisi suggests visitors an introductory to Georgian culture and history. Visit the ancient neighborhoods of Tbilisi where you can explore the Sulphur baths and narrow streets with beautiful 19th-century houses with wooden balconies. Explore ancient and medieval architecture including churches, museums, houses, and fortresses. Overnight at 3star hotel in Tbilisi.

Day 2: Tbilisi-Ananuri-Kazbegi

In the morning, we take an unforgettable trip to the mountains areas of Kazbegi. Visit Jvari Cross monastery overlooking the old capital of Georgia – Mtskheta. Then depart to Caucasus mountains and visit Ananuri Castle Complex which combines two churches, defensive walls and several towers. The magnificent views over Jinvali reservoir with an absolute blue water. After travelling along the Great Caucasus mountain range, visit Kazbegi town which is an administrative center of the mountainous region Khevi. Overnight at guesthouse in Kazbegi.

Day 3: Kazbegi-Gergeti Trinity Church – Kazbegi Meteo Station

After breakfast, we drive by 4X4 cars to Gergeti Trinity Church. The church was built in XIV century, while its separate bell tower was constructed after several years. Gergeti Trinity church is located on the 2200 meters from sea level, right below the summit of Mt Kazbegi and above the small town of Stepantsminda. From here we start our actual trekking activities. We follow the mountains range and narrow gorges, passing the Sabertse pass and reaching to the Gergeti glacier. Its width is 6,0 km²,
length- 8.92 km. We are hiking on the glacier to reach our destination. After 7 hours hiking, we reach Mount Kazbeg’s basecamp, also known as Meteorological Station. Overnight at Betlemi Hut or in tents.

Day 4: Acclimatization at Kazbegi Meteo Station (Basecamp)

This whole day is for our acclimatization. Mount Kazbegi’s Basecamp Meteo is the highest located
building in Georgia (at 3653m). It was built as a base camp for Georgian alpinists in 1920s. We also can take an optional hike to the iron church located at the 3930m. You and your body should be accustomed to heavy pressure and high altitude. Our special guides for Mount Kazbegi will check your gears and conduct basic training in how to use crampons, ice axes, and ropes. We move around the camp for the day and enjoying views from the basecamp.

Day 5: Basecamp –Kazbegi Summit – Basecamp

This day is the hardest but the most stunning one. We wake up at 01:00 midnight, prepare our essential gear for climbing up and leave the camp at 02:00. The route is just 13 km but takes around 14 hours. We are taking pathway through “Maili” plateau which is the easiest and touristic route. We pass “Shavi Jvari” (Black Cross) camping site, follow the narrow path through rocks, cross rivers and ice gaps. After 2 hours, we need to attach crampons with our boots, tied in a rope and climb up to
Mailli Plateau. From here, we need to climb up again to the saddle of Mount Kazbegi (4844). After 15 minutes rest, we gather energy and climb up to the summit of mount Kazbegi. Here you can enjoy the most stunning picturesque views over the Caucasus mountains. Afterwards, we descend back and follow the same way to our basecamp site.

Day 6: Day Off/ Reserve day in case of bad weather

This day is rather for relaxing after tiring climbing up to Kazbegi or is a reserve day in case of bad weather for day 5. The weather is changing so fast up there and we need to choose a perfect day and weather for your comfortable climbing. In case, we would manage to climb up to Mount Kazbegi in previous day, then for this day, we go down and overnight in Kazbegi Town.

Day 7: Meteo Station – Kazbegi -Tbilisi

In the morning, we will descend from Meteostation to Gergeti Trinity church. We follow the same way and reach in several hours to the nearby fields of Gergeti Trinity church. Here our 4×4 car drivers will wait for us and take us to Kazbegi, and then to Tbilisi. On our way, we can stop at the Georgian restaurant for tasting Georgian traditional food. Overnight at 3star hotel in Tbilisi.

What's included

Included:

√ Transportation
All transportation during the trek is included in the total price.

√ Hotel pick up
Hotel pick-up and drop off is included in the total price.

√ Experienced tour guides
7-Day Expert Leadership from experienced adventure guides and local mountain guides for the summit.

√ Food
Breakfast for 6 days, dinner for 6 days, packed lunch boxes for 7 days, and snacks for 7 days are included.

√ Accommodation
2 overnight at a guesthouse with private facilities in Kazbegi (Twins/Double Room), 2 Overnight at a 3-star hotel in Tbilisi, 3 nights in Betlemi Hut of Basecamp are included.

√ Luggage transportation
Luggage Transportation by horses some days of the trek.

Excluded:

× Travel Insurance Including Repatriation
Your international travel insurance is your own responsibility. It is important that your travel insurance also covers adventures at a high altitude. Discuss your itinerary with the insurance company before you travel to Georgia.

× Tipping
Tips for guides and porters are exclusive. You decide what you want to tip, but be generous.

×Trekking gear
Trekking gear such as trekking poles and backpacks are not included, but can be rented.

× Special equipment
Crampons, Harness, 2 carabiners, 1 Sling (120 cm), an ice axe, ski pants, hat backpack, sleeping bags are not included

× Personal Expenses
Alcoholic beverages and other personal expenses are not included.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to Georgia?

The most common and easiest way to get to Georgia is to fly to Tbilisi International Airport (TBS). Airlines such as Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Georgian Airways, and Ukraine International Airlines are some of the options to get to Tbilisi.  You can check all the airlines that fly to Georgia here.

Once you arrive at the airport it is very easy to get to the city center either by bus, train or taxi. The Public bus stop is located in front of the Arrival hall and provides transportation to the city center 24/7. One way fee is 0.50 Georgian Lari (0.20 USD). Taxis are available outside the terminal, just at the curbside of the Arrival Hall and it is also available all day. The journey time to the city center takes 20-30 minutes dependent on traffic. The taxi fee is around 30 to 50 GEL (11 to 20 USD). Although the train is a fast and cheap option (0.20 USD), it doesn’t run very often.

Best Season

Mountains of Georgia are very similar to those of Europe – the best period is from the second half of June till late September. If you want to do some serious multiday trekking, you should wait till late June – this is when nature looks its best: flowers bloom and trees get greener. The problem is that May and June belong to the rainy season. In July and August, the weather becomes more stable and dry: this is the best period to trek. These nice weather conditions tend to last until the end of September.

Tipping

It is normal to tip guides while trekking in Georgia. Opinions on how much are divided. It is common to tip 10-15% of the price of the tour. Bear in mind that anything you can give can help them a lot. Try to be generous.

Training

Do you make it to your destinations as planned? This might be influenced by the unpredictable weather conditions. However, it can also depend on your own physical condition.

One sure way to get fit for trekking and hiking in Georgia is to, you could have guessed it: hike more. Do you like walking, have you done trekking at an altitude before and do you sport twice a week on average? With a little extra training, you’ll soon be ready for this beautiful trekking in the Caucasus Mountains

Is this the first time that you are trekking for so many days? Make sure you are well prepared. This is important for your safety, but also for that of your team. Make sure you start six months in advance with an hour’s hike twice a week.

Altitude Mountain Sickness

Altitude Mountain Sickness usually occurs above 2500 m and Symptoms may include headaches, vomiting, tiredness, trouble sleeping, and dizziness. This is why AMS is something to take into consideration before trekking in Georgia. If you want to know everything about AMS, please read our extensive blog post. For now, keep the basics in mind. Make sure you are hydrated properly, avoid alcohol before your trek, and if you are a smoker, you better at least quit for a few days, or else you are going to have a lot of trouble making it through.

Accommodation

Accommodation

2 overnight at a guesthouse with private facilities in Kazbegi (Twins/Double Room), 2 Overnight at a 3-star hotel in Tbilisi, 3 nights in Betlemi Hut of Basecamp are included.

Safety

Safety

Safety is of the utmost importance to us. That is why this is an area in which we simply do not compromise when it comes to keeping the cost of our trekkings low. Our guides have been selected on the basis of their technical competence, proven safety performance, impeccable judgment, friendly attitude and ability to provide useful and expert instructions. They are also very professional and well trained in first aid and personal protection equipment. First aid kits are available on all treks.

Trek Georgia

Trek Georgia

Back in 2007, we set off on the mountainous road with backpacks and tents and one mission: to see and explore real Georgia, in its most preserved forms in the remote places of the Caucasus mountains. Today our ethos has not changed a bit. We love hiking, trekking and nature activities, as well as visiting stunning Georgian cultural monuments. The idea to create a travel agency came to our mind when lots of foreign visitors asked us to help them in arranging and suggesting some trekking tours in Georgia.

Since the creation of TrekGeorgia, the main goal of the company is to provide top quality service for visitors willing to explore Georgia’s culture and nature. We offer guided tours, tailor-made tours, special interest groups (Bike riding, horse riding), and transportation services.

All of our staff are trained and certified guides, while drivers are experienced Georgian drivers with years of driving experience in Georgia. Our success is determined by our high professionalism, top quality service, high reliability, and responsibility but most importantly by our motivation. We love traveling and managing TrekGeorgia for us is not just a business but a lifestyle. Co-founders are themselves trekking and hiking guides in remote Mountainous places because of their desire to meet different people from various corners of the world. TrekGeorgia’s distinctive style of travel offers something different from an ordinary guided tour or package holiday.

How To Book

How does it work?

On Bookatrekking.com you can find and compare the adventures of your dreams. Is this trekking adventure your match? In that case you can proceed to booking. At Bookatrekking.com you make a deposit of 15% of the total amount. You pay the remaining amount on location prior to the trek directly to the trekking company.

Bookatrekking.com uses only the safest payment methods. Once your booking has been received, your place is reserved, your place is safe and you can look forward to your chosen trekking.

After you have made your booking, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with all necessary information and the contact details of the trekking company. If you have any questions or if you want to clarify something, you can obtain information directly from the right person. Of course, you can also always ask us your question. Send us an e-mail on support@bookatrekking.com

The trekking company will also receive your details and can therefore always contact you and provide you with extra information.

Cancellation Policy

You wish you didn’t have to, but there is no other way: You find yourself having to cancel your plans. In this case, you lose your deposit, but since you haven’t paid the large sum yet, you at least save that. Please do let us know if you cannot make it. A no-show can be a small disaster for your trekking provider, who did its best to block your dates. View our complete cancellation policy here.